1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an applicability determination device, which is capable of automatically determining whether a design of a quilt to be made can be pieced together using a suggested piecing method, for quilt design, and a memory medium storing a computer program thereof which allows the applicability determination device to perform such a function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional method for making a quilt is described below. First, a desirable quilt is designed. Next, patches called pieces, which are suitable for structuring a quilt design, are prepared. Then, the pieces are pieced together one by one using a sewing machine.
Recently, a method known as a paper piecing (also known as a paper foundation piecing) has become widespread. In accordance with this method, the pieces are stitched on a foundation. A quilt design is printed on the foundation with numbers showing a piecing order.
The advantages of this method are that chunks of fabric can be used, and it is not necessary to mark on a fabric or to cut the fabric to a suitable size for a foundation in advance. Therefore, a desirable quilt can be made extremely easily, and can be beautifully made even though the pieces are small, using the method described above.
However, the paper piecing is not applicable to all quilt designs because the method repeats stitching on only one side of a piece on a foundation with straight stitches using a sewing machine.
Quilt designs to which the paper piecing is not applicable will be described with reference to FIGS. 31A through 32D. FIG. 31A illustrates a quilt design called a "fish"; FIG. 31B illustrates a quilt design called "boxes"; FIG. 31C illustrates a quilt design called a "NorthWind"; and FIG. 31D illustrates a modified quilt design of the quilt design shown in FIG. 31B.
FIGS. 32A through 32D illustrate an example of a quilt design to which the paper piecing is not applicable.
In each figure, the letters and numbers show the pieces and the piecing order, respectively.
The quilt design "fish" shown in FIG. 31A can be made by piecing the pieces together, following the piecing order shown by numbers.
However, the quilt design "boxes" shown in 31B, as shown in FIGS. 32A through 32D, is not applicable to the paper piecing because two sides of a piece T4 have to be stitched with straight stitches, though a piece T1 and a piece T2 can be stitched together along a seam line M1, and also a piece T3 can be stitched along a seam line M2, on a foundation 70.
Further, triangles gathered on both sides of a line L1 in the quilt design "NorthWind" shown in FIG. 31C cannot be pieced together using the paper piecing. However, it becomes possible to make the quilt design "NorthWind" when a block Q and a block R divided at the line L1 are first made each by piecing each of the pieces together using the paper piecing, and then the block Q and the block R are joined.
As described above, quilt designs exist to which the paper piecing is not applicable. Further, a situation exists where a quilt design cannot be made unless the paper piecing and the joint of blocks are combined.
However, a problem arises that only the person who has the skill of determination can determine the quilt designs and whether the quilt design is applicable to the paper piecing or whether it becomes possible to make a quilt if the paper piecing and the joint of blocks are combined. At present, the specific designers having such a skill design the quilts for paper piecing. General quilters use the existing quilt designs, and a perception exists that it is difficult for one to design one's own quilts by oneself.
Further, the situation often arises where a person who has designed quilts finds it difficult to judge the complicated design.